As diabetes and obesity become increasingly serious problems for large segments of the population, there is increased interest in the development of food substitutes for the fats and processed sugars added to many foods. There is particular interest in finding safer and more nutritious ingredients for confectioneries such as chocolates, and caramel, and meal replacement products (e.g., protein bars) which do not degrade the organoleptic qualities of foods.
One ingredient that has been studied as a substitute for a portion of the carbohydrates in confectionaries is whey protein. Whey protein has been used as a binder, extender, water retention agent, emulsifier, foaming agent, and gelling agent, among other uses. Generally, native, non-denatured whey protein is denatured by heat to create mutual hydrophobic interactions between protein molecules, and SH/SS exchange reactions between non-covalent bonds, such as ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds. These and other aspects of the denaturization process create a gel-like consistency that may be used as a substitute for fats and carbohydrates in foods.
The process of denaturing whey proteins needs to be carefully conducted for the gel-like product to have good organoleptic qualities. Oftentimes, the denatured whey protein partially coagulates into particles with mean particle sizes between 25 and 200 μm. The particles can impart a sandy, gritty taste sensation that make the ingredient undesirable as a food substitute in ice cream and confectionaries.
Food makers have attempted to reduce the mean size of the particles in the denatured whey protein by adding back native whey protein, and salts, among other additives. Unfortunately, several of these additives have an adverse impact on the hydrophobic qualities of the denatured protein, and increase the tendency of the protein to attract and retain water. This tends to give foodstuffs made with the whey protein a chalky taste as the hydrophilic protein draws in moisture from the surrounding environment. Thus, there remains a need for producing a denatured whey protein that is more hydrophobic in nature that imparts a smooth, creamy texture.
One approach to making these hydrophobic, denatured whey proteins is to heat the native protein at high temperature and/or for longer periods of time. Unfortunately, this approach can quickly clog and foul the heating unit with coagulated whey when the starting slurry is too concentrated in native whey protein. To remedy this problem, the whey protein is diluted with more water before heating to prevent excessive coagulation by the denatured protein. However, this adds significant cost when the water is evaporated to form a powdered food ingredient. Thus, there is a need for systems and methods of making denatured whey proteins that do not foul the production equipment, but also do not require starting with an excessively dilute native whey protein slurry. These and other problems are addressed by embodiments of the present invention.